What Serial Numbers Reveal about Your Food Equipment

If you’ve ever called Parts Town for assistance with parts identification, one of the first things we ask is, “Do you know your model and serial number?” It may seem like a meaningless series of letters and numbers, but the serial number holds a great deal of important information about your foodservice equipment.

Since each manufacturer has their own nomenclature and information sequence, the same naming rules can’t be applied across all equipment; however, some general pieces of information are likely contained in most serial numbers. In many cases, you can glean the equipment’s age from the serial number. Sometimes, the manufacturer and model are not enough to zero-in on the proper replacement parts. Model designs and components change over the years that make simply relying on the equipment name alone insufficient.

Next, equipment features and dimensions are usually called out, if you know where to find them. The power source, voltage, width and height are just a few of the many specifications that are likely encoded into the serial number. In the case of refrigeration, the type of refrigerant is usually called out which is critical for identifying parts.

The next time you are looking for a part or more information about a piece of equipment, remember that the serial number can get you the answers you need faster. Make note of the number for quick access and fast answers for future use.

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